Norwalk Art Space Presents New Exhibit, "Between Blurred Lines"

Norwalk, CT - The Norwalk Art Space presents the artwork of Kelly Rossetti and Joanna Lentini in a new exhibit titled "Between Blurred Lines", to be held at 455 West Ave, Norwalk, CT, October 28 - December 2, 2021.

On Thursday, October 28, from 6pm-9pm, there will be a reception with DJ Groove 7, Indie/Pop duo Fast River and a ballet performance by East Coast Contemporary Ballet.

On Sunday, November 7, from 1pm - 3pm, Kelly Rossetti and Joanna Lentini will give a talk moderated by David Green of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.

On Saturday, November 20, from 12pm - 3pm, the Norwalk Art Space will offer "Mark Making", an Emotional Response Workshop with Korry Fellow Kelly Rossetti. Says Kelly, "We were all born artists. We learned to make marks with our crayons when we were little, sometimes we stayed in the lines, sometimes we went wild with color. We didn’t give any thought to what we were making, we just did it. As we get older, we lose this intrinsic quality- the art of play. We tend to overthink instead of responding to how we are feeling." In this 3-hour workshop, Kelly will lead you through a series of exercises that explore mark making, the emotional responses these marks elicit, and the importance of play in the beginning of a painting. The group will discuss basic elements of abstract compositions, questions you should be asking yourself throughout the painting process and how accidents can actually be beneficial in our work.

The Norwalk Art Space is proud to announce our next exhibition with Korry Fellow Kelly Rossetti from Westport, CT and invited artist Joanna Lentini in Between Blurred Lines. Kelly was asked to be a Korry Fellow based on her expressive and natural brush strokes that empower her bold color palette. Kelly says about selecting Joanna, “I’m particularly fond of Joanna’s photos of the natural landscape. There is an ethereal quality to them that I often try to capture when I’m painting abstract landscapes. The way the light fractures through the clouds, or the soft, blurred lines of the horizon...they all speak my language. There is so much beauty in some of her darker images of the glaciers or of a zoomed-in leaf. I’m beyond grateful to welcome Joanna into the fold for this exhibit.”

Exhibition Statement

The dream-like state of our subconscious rises to the surface when viewing and experiencing the works of Kelly Rossetti and Joanna Lentini. Blurred but familiar feelings connect us to a fleeting place or time, moments we may long for or even be bothered by. These artworks make you look back and back again at the subtle but impactful lines that cut through their composition and lead you to an emotion that you may or may not want to experience. Does Kelly want us to see what raw opened flesh would look like if displayed cold and wet on a slab of canvas in her piece I’ll Come Around Sundown? Do those fleshy red and pink paint marks represent frustration or the creation of life?

It’s these blurred lines of consciousness that make us see the connection between Kelly and Joanna’s work. It’s hard not to see the beauty in Joanna's serene natural settings, but what else is she trying to tell us? Is she guiding us to connect subconsciously to the heavens by holding onto the winds that are sweeping the snow-covered mountains of Arcadia? Like Kelly's, Joanna's work also speaks of dualities: potential and frustration, natural beauty and the human effects on it.

These two artists work in different mediums, but their art allows the viewer to walk away with his/her own sense of memory between blurred lines.

- Duvian Montoya, Artistic and Educational Director of The Norwalk Art Space

Kelly Rossetti Artist Statement

I am in love with all things paint. From the juicy, buttery marks of an oil stick to the way acrylic can flow by simply adding some mediums or water, my love affair with paint began when I quit my corporate job in fashion and began to explore the feeling of a paintbrush gliding across the canvas. My life turned upside down as I investigated another side of myself that I had no idea existed. As I continue to examine and inquire about what I’m striving to achieve in my work, it’s important for me to state how the work comes to be. My non-objective abstract work nearly always begins with play. Either through loose mark making that starts to inject a sense of life force energy into the painting, or by beginning with bold brushworks filled with color, I have found that I always tend to go back to these two things. Line and color. I find such comfort and excitement in what a simple line can do. It can be soft, it can be bold or blurred. It can tie the work together and complete a painting. My use of color is sometimes bold, sometimes soft...though one thing is for certain, there will always be pink... even if it’s hidden under 15 layers of paint. Whether it be loose and expressive figurative work or non- objective abstract paintings, I strive to capture an emotion that is evoked by viewing the work. It is my goal that every time you step up to the work, you notice something you hadn’t seen upon first glance. Those details and marks are sometimes carefully executed or the result of fearless, reckless abandon as I approach the work and allow myself to be free, use my entire body and face the canvas with endless possibilities.

Joanna Lentini Artist Statement

My lifelong love affair with wild spaces and creatures is the driving force behind all that I do. It has led me down a path to document the natural world as it faces a changing climate with the full understanding that while I am an artist trying to convey a sense of wonder and awe, I am also a historian of sorts. The idea that one day, some of the landscapes or wildlife I photograph, may no longer be with us makes it an emotional journey, but one also full of hope, that with enough awareness, and inspiration, our duty to protect our last wildernesses will prevail.

Over the years, I have slowed down my approach to image making, and spend a lot of time observing what the natural world around me is doing. I’ve also shifted my focus and lens to more local issues, as I truly believe environmental stewardship begins on our own doorsteps. A deviation from photographing remote locations to the nature just outside my door, has led me to my current project—documenting the rewilding of my own backyard to create space for the local flora and fauna to flourish.

About The Norwalk Art Space

The Norwalk Art Space hopes to enhance opportunities and equity in the Connecticut arts community by offering free art education and mentorship to under-served high

school students, sponsoring and promoting local artists through our Resident Artist programs and Korry Fellow exhibitions, and providing the public an exciting venue to explore art and music. Our beautiful building, ADK House, was named in honor of our founder, Alexandra D. Korry, whose vision inspires everything we do.

Visitor Information

The Norwalk Art Space is free to all visitors. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM. The Art Space Cafe, located on-site, is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM. Overflow parking lots are available at 370 West Ave (enter on Maple Street) and at Mathews Park, 295 West Ave (park in the back lot).

ADK House is handicap accessible with a ramp and elevator. Se habla español.

For more information please contact: Front desk: (203) 252-2840
Email: info@thenorwalkartspace.org

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Submitted by Fairfield, CT

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